Resilience - Discontinued

Chapter 30: Six Birds With One Stone

Most of my friends had moved far away, some to a different state, others across the city, and others I had no idea where they went.

Well, I just got moved a few blocks down to the Together For Girls Group Home! It sounds like a blast, right?

It was a group home when I lived with all my friends, but now I'm learning that's not the custom for all homes.

Back at the apartment nothing was locked up, no one supervising us, and no rules. But here even the water glasses were locked away, a list of strict rules, and it felt more like a facility than a home. No one lived here; they were just workers with badges.

There were three rooms, each with four twin beds. I only had two other roommates, the girl who took the fourth bed was transported to a juvenile detention center because she tried scratching the caretaker's eyes out a day before I came.

The girls in my room were somewhat nice. Darcy, a quiet redhead showed me around the small townhouse and introduced me to Kailee—my other roommate who had a mouth on her.

I couldn't talk much when them, or even try to be somewhat friendly because my mind was stuck on Ares. The foam coming out of his mouth and the way Walker shook his body made it look like he was dead.

Me and Ares had an odd somewhat undercover friendship. Some days we would be making out under the stairs or in the boy's locker room during class, but others we were in the kitchen at midnight arguing until sunrise.

On the surface our friendship looked normal to the others, we weren't necessarily closer than others but we weren't against each other or anything, and I'm shocked we were able to hide it that well.

A boy bumps into me, knocking me out of my thoughts. I look up at the large school in front of me. The rest of the girls all went to a different high school but since it was capped and my old school was close enough I was allowed to stay. I don't see the point anymore though, the only person here I talk to is Leo.

I rub my eyes, tears threatening to come out. I spent half my night crying, scared for Ares and the rest of my friends. Foster care was always an unlucky gamble. Four of my friends got sent to random homes, and I was sure that most of them weren't going to be loved.

My arms grip my stomach tightly, my whole body felt cold and hot at the same time. I didn't want to be here, or anywhere. I wanted to be with my friends.

"Alea?" I turn around to see Leo standing by his open car door, his dad in the driver's seat.

All the tension and sadness built up in me from yesterday afternoon finally released and I let out a sob, running to him. "Leo," I cry, holding onto him tightly.

He stumbles into the side of his car, hugging me back. Me and Leo were never that close, but right now he's all I have left.

"Hey," he soothes, running his hand up and down my back, just like Walker would do sometimes when things got really bad. I squeeze my eyes shut, Walker was always there to take care of us.

"What happened? Where are the others?"

I sob into his shoulders more. Gone, they are all gone! I want to scream, but my chest feels like it's preventing me from speaking.

A car door shuts and soon enough I see his dad's fancy shoes in my vision. "They took them," I whisper. "All my friends are gone." I cry again.

"Who's them?" His dad asks softly.

I wipe my snot on the cuff of my hoodie, silent tears now running down my face. "Social Services."

Leo and his dad share a look. "Can we go back home, Dad? And take her."

I shake my head, taking a step back from him. "I can't...if I skip I'll get in trouble with my group home."

"Leo, how about we just go to school today, hm? And then we can talk about...this later tonight." I look at his dad and he smiles at me with a sympathetic look.

"Okay," Leo mumbles. His dad places a hand on my shoulder, turning me toward him. "This is a big thing, and we are going to talk it out more later. But for now, go get to school, I don't want you to get in trouble with whoever is taking care of you."

We stand there for a few more seconds before me and Leo start heading toward the school doors. "Sorry for crying all over you," I say looking at the wet spot on his shirt.

He shrugs. "I don't mind, as long as you're okay." When he opens the door for me I stare at him, debating if I should tell him or not.

We walk into school together, in an awkward silence for a few minutes. I let out little sniffles here and there, and I'm almost positive Leo is wondering what has me this worked up.

"A-Ares, he uhm, took something, I guess. Took enough of it to almost kill him..." None of us knew if he was even alive but on their way out the paramedic told us he had seen this case a million times and there was a ninety percent chance he was going to be okay, so we had to take his word for it.

"I-I don't know what was going on in his head, but they were Karla's pills so they lost their foster license and we all got separated."

Leo pauses, swallowing harshly. "He overdosed?" He has a weird look on his face, almost like he's about to throw up.

I nod. "And...I don't know if I'm ever gonna see them again."

He brings a shakey hand up to fix his hair. "Do you know if he's going to be okay?"

I shrug. "Hopefully. Sorry, I kind of dropped that bomb out of nowhere."

A tear rolls down his cheek but he quickly swipes it away. "It's okay. Where is everyone else now?"

"Walker's somewhere in Connecticut, and I think Quinn is still here in the city. Makayla is far away, and Jack went to some small town upstate." When we were all getting moved and talking to our social workers it didn't occur to us to meet somewhere sooner.

Me and Quinn could have easily met up at the old apartment in a day or so but she was quickly sent away so fast that I couldn't even say goodbye to her.

"And...Ares?"

I swallow harshly. "When I was ten I had this foster brother who had cancer...and no foster parent wants to deal with all the medical and money issues that come with that, you know? So he was moved to live in the hospital. I don't think anyone is on the lookout for a sixteen-year-old who just tried to kill himself."

Leo flinches at the last part. "I'm sorry this is all happening, Alea. I know it must be hard."

"They are your friends too, Leo," I say quietly as we head to my locker. "You have the right to be sad about it too, you know?"

He nods. "It's kind of scary how that one thing can mess up everything."

"Killed six birds with one stone," I try to joke but he doesn't laugh.

Leo stops walking, I stop walking. We just stand there, staring at each other. He places his hands on my shoulders, bringing me closer. "It's going to be okay."

I hug him slowly, leaning my head on his chest and breathing in his scent. I don't cry this time but a sense of relief falls over me, because ever since yesterday afternoon and even my whole life that's all I've wanted to hear. That it was going to be okay.

And even though I don't fully believe him, it's still nice to hear it.